In Breaking Bad, who warned Hank (Dean Norris) about the cartel hit and saved his life? It was none other than Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) who contacted Hank about an impending cartel assassination attempt, despite being the one who ordered the hit in the first place. Whereas Esposito portrayed one of the show's biggest antagonists for a multi-season arc, Norris played the brother-in-law of the central character, Walter White (Bryan Cranston), appearing in all of Breaking Bad's five seasons. Hank even influences Jimmy's transformation in Better Call Saul. At first, both Gus and Hank served as allies for Walt, until both relationships went south.
While much of Gus' backstory was revealed in Better Call Saul, enough of the character's motivations were unearthed throughout his stint on Breaking Bad. Gus was a major drug kingpin with ties to the Mexican cartel that used his fast-food chain, Los Pollos Hermanos, as a front for his methamphetamine distribution. The cartel killed his former business partner, propelling Gus' long-term plan of getting revenge. As a business owner involved in the Albuquerque community, the criminal mastermind was able to hide in plain sight. Gus even made philanthropic efforts by supporting the DEA so that they would never be suspicious of his involvement in the drug trade, which, as revealed in Gus Fring's Better Call Saul appearances, involves much more than just drug trafficking.
In Breaking Bad season 3, Gus brought in Walt to serve as his lead meth cook, but the cartel and the Salamanca family wanted revenge against Walt for Tuco's death. Gus met with cartel boss Juan Bolsa and members of Tuco's family, including "The Cousins," two hitmen for the cartel. The group wanted Walt killed for betraying Tuco, but Gus later reminded them that the DEA were the ones who carried out the murder. In fact, Hank was the one who killed Tuco during a shootout. Gus then advised the Cousins to carry out a hit on Hank, giving them a pass since the DEA was usually off-limits. Before the Cousins could assassinate Hank in a shopping center parking lot, Gus called the man to warn him about the attack. However, Gus' warning was never about protecting Hank directly. Even though Walt and Gus' relationship in Breaking Bad was, at best, an extremely risky business decision, Gus still needed both him and Hank alive – at least at the time. Moreover, throughout Breaking Bad, who warned Hank is never revealed to Hank himself, as Gus cunningly hides his identity through voice distortion.
Gus Wanted To Get His Own Revenge On The Cartel In Breaking Bad
Gus sparing both Walt and Hank also falls in line with Gus' long-term plans to stage his own revenge against the Mexican cartel in Breaking Bad. Since Hank was given fair warning, the DEA agent was able to fight back, shooting one of the Salamancas dead and leaving the other near death despite suffering a gunshot wound himself. More importantly, Hank's survival allowed for a more thorough investigation into the Salamanca family's background and their ties to the cartel, as the assassination attempt led the DEA right to the door of Juan Bolsa and other members of the Salamanca family in Breaking Bad. Who warned Hank also remains a mystery throughout these events, completely hiding Gus' involvement in the DEA's actions. Just as Gus had hoped, much of the cartel was taken out – a huge step in Gus' long-term revenge plans for the cartel's unceremonious killing of his longtime business partner.
Better Call Saul Shows How Gus Played The Long Game Against The Cartel
Breaking Bad's who warned Hank "mystery" is just one example of how Gustavo Fring makes seemingly bizarre decisions that ultimately serve a longer-term strategic purpose, and this is further explored in Better Call Saul. The Breaking Bad spinoff revealed how Gus controlled Nacho by killing his subordinate as a punishment, laying back and observing how Nacho put Hector Salamanca in a wheelchair, and using his authority in the organization to ensure things played out in accordance with his own plans. As shown by how Hector and Gus treated each other in Better Call Saul, Gus' cartel hatred runs deep, and he will do anything to get revenge, including keeping Hector alive as a form of long-term torture. Gus only really meets his match when Walt plays a similarly long game against him and uses Hector to assassinate Gus – and even then, Gus had already fully exacted his revenge against Hector, whose death actually allowed him to escape Gustavo Fring.